Work Hard. Party Harder.

At the verge of the main street, this office building rises above the buzz of Colombo, its glass façade affording fleeting glimpses of the activity within. An assortment of signage is declared smartly along the blind wall facing the east, an indication of all that goes on within.

The property owned by A S Kaleel was initially a shell structure when it was leased out to the Company that transformed the building in its entirety to what it is today. From the four-space parking at the frontage, tempered glass doors open on to the ground floor. The interior is spaced generously with the mild grey hue of cut and polished concrete features taking precedence. This floor serves as the display area for apple products. iMacs, Apple notebooks, iPods and more are displayed on discrete concrete stands to highlight each of the products. To blend with the grey, neutral theme of the space, a selection of chairs from Herman Miller are in black. Accordingly four black chairs are placed around the centre tables. A fish tank at the far end and a wall-mounted LCD television add a touch of recreation and leisureliness to the space. This atmosphere is further animated by surround sound from a Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A9 speaker with Red Cover and Nordic Sky edition legs.

A total of 6,000 sq ft, the building rises to four floors complete with a rooftop that overlooks the busy streets

A total of 6,000 sq ft, the building rises to four floors complete with a rooftop that overlooks the busy streets. Introducing the first-ever private corporate gym, the first floor of the building accommodates a full-functioning luxury gym with state-of-the-art Cybex, USA fitness equipment complete with three changing/shower rooms. The equipment installed cover the complete extent of workouts and include cardiovascular machines comprising of two treadmills, two arc trainers and bike, a multifunctional Bravo Functional Training System with accessories; short bars, ropes and straps, for free weights a Two Tier Dumbbell Rack with weights ranging from five to 50 pounds, Incline and decline bench and flat bench, Smith Machine and an Eagle Selectorized Strength equipment for Leg Extension and Leg Curl, Lat Pulldown and Back Extension. Furthermore the gym also includes functional equipment such as Bosu, TRX, Medicine Balls, Swiss Balls, and Yoga Mats. The floor is laid with special red rubber flooring from Spain and the walls on three sides are installed with ceiling-high mirrors.

Initially a shell structure, the Company transformed the building in its entirety to what it is today

The treadmills, bike and arc trainers are lined up against the glass façade so that users may enjoy a view of the road below while working out. The gym is also equipped with a Bang & Olufson BeoPlay A9 Nordic Sky edition (cover and legs) speaker, for surround sound to accompany a work out. The staff can avail of the gym and two personal trainers for the duration of two hours between 7:30 am and 8:00 pm on weekdays and 10:00am to 6:00pm on Saturdays. In addition Yoga and Aerobics classes conducted by two instructors are held twice a week for the staff.

The interior is spaced generously with the mild grey hue of cut and polished concrete features taking precedence. This floor serves as the display area for apple products displayed on discrete concrete stands

While the second floor accommodates two meeting rooms partitioned by glass enclosures and a storage room, the third and fourth floors are dedicated workspaces in open plan design with approximate capacities of 35 staff members each. The interiors are primarily in white including the furnishings. Moreover, iMacs, MacBook Pros or MacBook Airs occupy the workstations which are defined by quarter height partitions of white melamine boards and glass. The customised design of desks comprises of white melamine surfaces with hairline-finish stainless steel support frames. These features combined impart a minimalist feel to the work floors. The first of the work floors, include a separate though not closed-off area facing the staff—the dedicated space for the Chairman/Managing Director of the company.

Introducing the first ever private corporate gym, the first floor of the building accommodates a full functioning luxury gym with state-of-the art Cybex, USA fitness equipment

Similarly the upper work floor too possesses a workspace for the Executive Director enclosed in glass panelling. Both floors have wall-mounted LCD televisions that interrupt the regularity of the spaces. Moreover, each workstation is accommodated with white melamine two-drawer mobile units where the top surface of each is given a red hue —matched with the red of the iPod shuffle special edition—to add contrast to the space. The glare of sunlight through the glass-panelled windows is remedied with roller blinds that still allow visibility of the view outside. As with all other floors of the building, here too the floors are of cut polished concrete. As the building was devoid of balconies, air-conditioners had to be directed to outdoor units while avoiding any disturbance to the building’s streamlined design concept.

The second floor accommodates two meeting rooms partitioned by glass enclosures and a storage room

The rooftop of the building is an open air space with a customised design for the staff to have lunch and tea breaks in a chilled-out atmosphere. A bar area is allocated for morning and afternoon tea break with a tea/coffee machine. The remainder of the space is utilised with long satinwood tables and bench seats. The peripheries of the space are furnished with additional cut polished concrete table and stools to provide adequate seating facilities. To create a habitable environ at all times, the rooftop is sheltered with polycarbonate coloured sheet with matt foil to beat the heat and supported by galvanised box bars. Monsoon blinds, able to withstand any weather condition are fitted at all openings to utilise when needed.

The interiors are primarily in white including the furnishings… These features combined impart a minimalist feel to the work floors

From the bottom-up the office building through its innovations and design encompasses not only a workplace but also a lifestyle.

The office building rises to four floors complete with a rooftop
The Apple store and the gym visible through the glass facade
The Apple store at the gound floor with concrete stands to display the products. A fish tank, wall-mounted LCD tv and Bang & Olufsen BeoPlay A9 speaker add a touch of recreation to the space
The cardiovascular machines lined up against the glass facade
The full extent of the gym with high mirrors
Two tier dumbbell stand and the range of dumbbells
Two tier dumbbell stand and the range of dumbbells
Alternative spaces are available to hold more than one meeting at a time
Interior of the first meeting room
A view at entry: Glass panels below allow visibility across the meeting rooms
Sales floor on level three
The Chairman/Managing Director’s workspace on level three
Production floor on level four
The office of the Executive Director enclosed in glass panelling on level four
The rooftop and the coffee/tea area at the farther end
The customised timber furnishing at the roofttop with a view of the city around
A view from the rooftop of the road below
A rooftop view at sunset: The sea and horizon are visible beyond the city scape

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